must be fung by Zion's fons, and Temple-worship

pers.

"The redeemed of the Lord fhall return, and, come to Zion with fongs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they fhall obtain, joy and gladnefs, and forrow and fighing fhall fly away. Therefore they fhall come and fing in the height, or upon the mountains of Zion; and fhall flow together, thither, to the goodness of the Lord. Break forth into finging, ye mountains, and let the inhabitants of the rock fing," Ifa. xliv. 23. chap. xlii. 11.

To fing to God, is the highest worship we are capable of performing in heaven; and it is much if finners on earth, without grace, fhould be capable of performing it, according to his inftitution, ac-, ceptably. I pray God it be done by all thofe that now a days get into churches, in fpirit and with underflanding.

CHAP. LV.

Of the Union of the holy and most holy Temple.

T HAT commonly called the Temple of God at Jerufalem, confidered as standing of two parts, was called the outward and inward Temple, or the holy and most holy place. They were built. upon one and the fame foundation, neither could one go into the holiest but as through the holy place, 1 Kings iii. 1. chap. vi. 2 Chron. v. 1, 13. chap. vii. 2.

The firft house, namely, that which we have been fpeaking of, was a type of the church-militant, and the place moft holy a type of the church-triumphant. I fay, of the church-triumphant as it is now.

So then, the houfe ftanding of these two parts, was a fhadow of the church both in heaven and earth. And for that they are joined together by one and the fame foundation, it was to fhew, that they above, and we below, are yet one and the selffame houfe of God. Henge they and we together,

are called, "The whole family in heaven and earth," Ephef. iii. 14, 15.

And hence it is faid again, that we who believe on earth, are come to mount Sion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem; and to an innumerable company of angels. To the general affembly and church of the firft-born which are writ ten in heaven, and to the fpirits of juft men niade perfect, and to God the Judge of all, and to Jefus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of fprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel," Heb. xii, 22, 23, 24.

The difference then betwixt us and them, is not that we are really two, but one body in Chrift, in divers places. True, we are below ftairs, and they above; they in their holy-day, and we in our work. ing-day cloathes: they in harbour, but we in the ftorm; they at reft, and we in the wildernefs; they finging, as crowned with joy; we crying, as crown. ed with thorns. But I fay, we are all of one house, one family, and are all children of one father.

This therefore we muft not forget, left we debar ourfelves of much of that, which otherwife, while here, we have a right unto. Let us therefore, I fay, remember, that the Temple of God is but one, though divided, as one may fay, into kitchen and hall, above flairs and below; or holy and most holy place. For it ftands upon the fame foundation, and is called but one, the Temple of God which is builded upon the Lord our Saviour.

I told you before, that none of old could go into the most holy, but by the holy place, even by the vail that made the partition between, Exod xxvi. · 33. Lev. xvi. 2, 12, 15. Heb. ix. 7, 8. chap. x. 19.

Wherefore, they are deceived that think to go into the holieft, which is heaven, when they die;. who yet abandon, and hate the holy place while they live.

Nay, firs, the way into the holieft, is through the holy place; the way into heaven is through

the church on earth; for that Chrift is there by his word to be received by faith, before he can by us, in perfon, be received in the beatifical vifion, The church on earth is as the houfe of the women fpoken of in the book of Efther, where we must be dieted, perfumed, and made fit to go into the bride. groom's chamber, or, as Paul fays, "made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light, Efth, ii. Col. i. 12.

ΤΗ

CHAP LVI.

Of the Holieft or Inner Temple,

HE most holy place, was, as I faid, a figure of heaven itfelf, confequently a type of that where the most special prefence of God is ; and where his face is moft clearly feen, and the gladnefs of his countenance most enjoyed, Heb. ix. 23, 24. Exod. xxv. 22. Numb. vii. 89.

The moft holy place was dark, it had no win. dows in it, tho' there were fuch round the chambers; the more fpecial prefence of God too, en Mount Siani, was in the thick darkness there,. 1 Kings viii. 12. 2 Chron, vi. 1. Exod. xix. 9. chap..

XX. 21.

1. This holieft therefore being thus made, was to fhew that God, as in heaven, to us on earth is altogether invifible, and not to be reached otherwife than by faith. For I fay, in that this house had no windows, nothing therein could be seen by the. higheft light of this world, Things there were on ly feen by the light of the fire of the altar, which was a type of the fhinings of the Holy Ghost, I Cor. . And hence it is faid, notwithstanding this darkness," He dwelleth in that light which no man can approach unto; none but the High Priest, Chrift," 1 Tim. vi. 16. 1 Pet. iii. 21, 22.

2. The holiest therefore was thus built, to thew how different our state in heaven will be from this

We walk here by one light,

our state on earth. by the light of a written word; for that is " now a light to our feet, and a lantern to our path." But that place, where there will be no written word, nor ordinances, as here, will yet to us fhine more light and clear than if all the lights that are in the world were put together to light one man: "For God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John i. 5. And in his light, and in the light of the Lamb immediately, we fhall live, and walk and rejoice all the days of eternity,

3. This alfo was ordained, thus to fhew, that we, while in the first Temple, fhould live by faith, as to what there was, or as to what was done in the fecond. Hence it is faid as to that, we walk by faith, not by fight, 2 Cor. v. 9.

The things that are there we are told of, even of the ark of the teftimony, and mercy-feat, and the cherubims of glory, and the prefence of Chrift, and of God; we are, I fay told of them by the word, and believe, and are taken therewith, and hope to go to them hereafter: But otherwife we fee them not. Therefore we are faid to "look, not at the things that are feen, but at the things that are not feen; for the things that are feen are temporal, but the things that are not feen are eternal." 2 Cor. iv. 18.

4. The people of old were not to look into the holieft, left they died, (Nunb. xvii. 13.) fave only their high priest, he might go into it to thew that we, while here, must have a care of vain fpeculations; for there is nothing to be seen by us while here, in heaven, otherwife than by faith in God's eternal teftament: True, we may now come to the holieft, even as nigh as the first Temple will admit us to cone; but it must be by blood and faith, not by vain imagination, fenfe, or carnal reason.

5. This holieft of all was four fquare every way,, both as to heighth, length, and breadth. To be thus, is a note of perfection, as I have fhewed elfe

where; wherefore, it was on purpose thus built, ta fhew us, that all fulness of bleffedness is there, both as to the nature, degree, and duration. "So when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part fhall be done away, 1 Cor. xiii. 8, 9, 10. Heb. x. 19. 20, 21, 22.

CHA P. LVII.

Of the Vail of the Temple.

THE vail of the Temple was a hanging made of "blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and there were cherubims wrought thereon," Exod. xxvi. 31, 32.

1. This vail was che partition betwixt the holy and most holy place. And I take it, it was to keep, from the fight of the worshippers, the things most holy, when the high priest went in thither, to accomplish the fervice of God, Exod. xxvi. 332 Chron. Hi. 14. Heb, ix, 8.

2. The vail was a type of two things.

1. Of thele vifible heavens, through which Christ paff d when he went to make interceffion for us. And as by the vail the priest went out of the fight of the people, when he went into the holeft of all, fo Jefus Chrift, when he afcended, was, by the heavens, that great and stretched-out currain, re ceived out of the fight of his people here, Alfo, by the fame curtain, fince it is become as a tent for him to dwell in, he is ftill received, and ill kept out of our fight: for now we fee hinr not, nor fhall, until thefe heavens be rolled together as a feroll, and pafs away like a thing rolled together, Ifa. xl. 22. Acts i. 9, 10, 11. chap. iii. 19, 20, 21. 1 Pet. i, 8.

2. This is the vail, through which the apoftle faich, Jefus, as a forerunner for us, entered into the prefence of God, For by the vail here also must be meant the heavens, or out spread-firmament thereof. As both Mark and; Peter fays, "He is

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